Pirates Kidnap French Yacht Crew
Somalia - A sailing yacht was seized by pirates yesterday in the Gulf of Aden. The Venezuelan-flagged Carre D'as is reported to have been attacked at sea, captured, and the boat and hostages taken to Somalia. The only reported hostages so far are two French nationals, whose names have not been released. Clearly in Somalia, yachts are now fair game for pirates.
The pirates hijacked the boat to bring to the village of Eyl, on the East coast of Somalia's breakaway Puntland region. The French Foreign Ministry has reported that a "crisis meeting" is being held to address the issue. "The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in France is mobilizing in Paris and all its embassies in the region, liaising with the other relevant government departments, to obtain their release as soon as possible. M. Bernard Kouchner asked for the immediate activation of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs' crisis center, which this morning convened a meeting with all the relevant government departments to assess the situation," a ministry spokesperson told the press this morning.
The ministry also stated that "France firmly condemns this act of piracy and calls for the immediate release of the people yeld on board this yacht. Our prime concern is the safety of our compatriots."
When the yacht Le Ponant was captured by pirates earlier this year, French authorities paid the ransom and then attacked the pirates on Somali soil as they made thier getaway. Since the Carre D'as is registered as from Venezuela, it's possible that the pirates did not realize the boat actually carried French citizens on board. Some are suggesting that this will be a costly mistake for the pirates, and perhaps become the straw that breaks the camel's back in regard to the pirates in Puntland.
For the foreseeable future, YachtPals, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and most maritime authorities in the world warn yachts to stay out of the Gulf of Aden, and at least 300 miles off the coast of Somalia. If at all possible, avoid the area entirely.
- B. Hampton for YachtPals.com
[Photo: The French yacht Le Ponant, captured by Somali pirates in April. French forces attacked the pirates as they made away with the ransom.]
Read more about:
- Carre D'as
- Somalia Pirates - French Hostages Phone Home
- Captured Yacht Decoy for Somalian Pirates?
- Piracy (all articles about piracy)
- Le Ponant Yacht - French Hostages
- Playa de Bakio - Pirates Attack Boat in Somalia
- German Hostages kept by Pirates in Somalia
- Somalia Piracy Out of Control
- Piracy Somalia (all articles about piracy in Somalia)
Submitted By YachtPals on 03 Sep
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French Hostages kept by Pirates in Somalia - UPDATE
Statement given just hours ago in France regarding the yacht taken by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
Pirate Attack in Somalia - French Hostages
Question: Do you have any more information on the seizure of the yacht in the Gulf of Aden and the fate of the two Frenchmen being held captive?
Answer from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesperson: "We are continuing our efforts to obtain the release of our two countrymen as soon as possible.
Our personnel are fully mobilized, be it at the crisis center of the Foreign and European Ministry, other relevant departments, or our embassies in the region.
You will understand that in this kind of situation, beyond the factual elements given yesterday, a certain discretion is necessary for the very security of our compatriots.
We will however be stepping up our efforts to fight maritime piracy at the international level.
In line with the initiatives France took at the UN Security Council with several of its partners to institute the security of World Food Program ships through Operation Alcyon and, more broadly, to coordinate international efforts in the fight against maritime piracy, we, together with Spain, presented proposals at the end of June for a European action against piracy. A decision by the 27 EU member states in this regard should be taken in the coming days."
Piracy Somalia - Update about French Hostages
Update about the French hostages here:
Somalia Pirates - French Hostages Phone Home
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